As Donald Trump gears up for his second term, his transition team is facing a bit of a challenge. The goal was to bring on up to 2,000 political appointees by Day One, but loyalty tests and party infighting are making it harder to hit that target.
Despite President Trump’s plan to send out offer letters to potential staffers, sources revealed that filling these positions is moving slower than expected. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump transition, reassured the public, saying, “President Trump picked a brilliant Cabinet in record and historic time, and the Trump-Vance Transition is working non-stop to fill the Administration with hard workers who fully believe in the America First Agenda.”
So, what’s slowing things down? Well, many candidates for senior positions are hesitant to leave their current jobs in the private sector without formal offers from the transition team. They also need to give their companies a two-week notice before making the move.
On top of that, the team is juggling a large pool of applicants, each going through a thorough vetting process to ensure they’re aligned with Trump’s mission. This intense process is part of the reason the hiring pace is slower than anticipated.
Trump is working hard to avoid repeating the drama of his first term, especially with his White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, reportedly aiming to make the West Wing a “no-drama zone.” She’s made it clear she won’t tolerate anyone working solo or stirring up trouble. “My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing, or drama. These things are counterproductive to the mission,” Wiles told Axios.
Although Trump has been actively involved in selecting Cabinet members and top management posts, many of the staffing decisions have been left to those leading various departments. This has already sparked some disagreements within the team.
Just this week, Joshua Steinman, a veteran of Trump’s team, seemed to criticize some of the national security hires, suggesting that some appointees had ties to the “never-Trump” movement within the Republican Party. He wrote on X, “Many who have gotten the nod are great. But a significant number of as-yet-unannounced staff have long histories of being vocally ‘never Trump,’ and working for figures who have undermined the President.”
Mike Waltz, Trump’s incoming national security adviser, quickly responded, posting, “Let me be clear: anyone working under President Trump in the NSC will be fully aligned with his America First agenda.”
So, while the transition team is working hard behind the scenes, it’s clear that loyalty, drama-free management, and careful hiring decisions are all playing a role in shaping the new administration.
